Car-coupling



(No Model.)

I J. RAwL-Es. GAR COUPLING- Patented May 2, 1893.

ywmq ESSES:

0.. WASH JOHN RAWLES, OF SEVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO GEORGE H. MOELVAIN AND JOHN L. GRIFFITH, OF BUSHNELL, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,444, dated May 2, 1893. Application filed August 81, 1892. Serial No.444|692. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN RAWLES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seville, in the county of Fulton and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupler, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplers, and my object is to provide a construction which will automatically permit considerable lateral play with a small amount of longitudinal play between the couplers of adjacent cars when coupled so that, the couplers are not subject to unduelateral stress, or friction when a train provided with this kind of coupler is rounding either a simple or reversed curve, as the case may be; and, another object is to provide a simple means for operating the movable jaw of my new car coupler, which means is so combined and applied with the parts of the coupler that it is not capable of being injured by the movements of the coupler head under any of the conditions of ordinary or reasonable duty, which objects are fully illustrated by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a car coupler,together with the draw head, detached from a car, and embodying my improvement. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1, looking in direction of arrow A, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of arrow B, Fig. 2. Fig.4 is a horizontal sectional View of Fig. 1 on line 0 D, Fig. 2, the end of the draw bar and head portion thereof being shown in section while the movable jaw and operating lever therefor are in elevation. Fig. 5 is a plan View of the movable jaw detached from Fig. 4: to show general construction. Fig. 6 is a side view of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of arrow E. Fig. 7 is a view of the under side of Fig. 1, same as Fig. 3 except that the movable jaw is in the open position as will be explained. Fig. 8 shows, respectively, a plan and side view of lever for operating the movable jaw.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

F is the stock of an ordinary draw bar at whose outer end is the head G with the guard projection G at one side thereof and at the opposite side of the head from G are twolugs H and H into which is hinged by means of pin I the movable jaw I, as shown. The movable jaw I Figs. 4 and 5, is provided with an arm J which arm has a position within a cavity in the front end of the head G, when jaw I is in the closed position shown in Figs. 1 or 4. Near the end of arm J of jaw I is a slotted hole K, the length of the hole being in Fig. 4.

It is obvious that slotted holes K and M permit jaw I with its arm J to have a lateral play, within certain limits, to and from the face N of guard projection G.

At 0 is a slotted hole down through the movable jaw I the length of the hole being parallel with the length of the draw bar F.

Hinge pin I projects below the under side of head G and forms the pivotal center upon which is mounted lever P, a key R passing through pin 1' serving to hold the lever in position. Lever P as shown in Fig. 8 is provided with a lug S at the short end which lug is fitted to operatein the slotted hole of movable jaw I. Lever P is provided with a hole T at its free end in which hole is attached a rod for operating the lever from the side or top of the car.

Lever P is usually placed at the under side of the draw head, as shown in Fig. 1.

When two cars are to be coupled, pin L is first pulled out to the position shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 2, the lower end of the pin,

in this position, being clear of the slotted hole K. Then lever P is moved over to the relative position shown in Fig. 7, which movement opens jaw I, as shown, after which, if the cars are run together, as usual, the jaws I of the two couplers will close in the coupled posi- IOO tion, pins L falling by the jar of collision down through slotted holes K and locking the jaws, as is understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

The cars are uncoupled by withdrawing pin L, which permits the jaws to swing outward like Fig. 7 when the cars are separated.

The dotted line U, Fig. 4, shows the out position of the jaw I in its lateral play when the cars are rounding a curve, as before mentioned.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A car coupler comprising a draw bar and head therefor as hereinbefore described, a jaw pivotally secured to said head to open in a horizontal plane, said jaw in the closed position capable of alateral movement relative JOHN RAWVLES.

Witnesses:

GEo. I-I. MCELVAIN, OSCAR SNELL. 

